Fill-in-the-Blank and Short Answer QuestionsDistinguish between independent agencies and independent ...

An ideal response will:
1. Describe independent agencies as units that have narrow responsibilities for a specific policy issue whose leaders are appointed by and under the control of the president; an example is the Environmental Protection Agency, which deals with the environment.
2. Define independent regulatory commissions as units that have a focused policy mission governing a specific issue area, but rather than being under the control of the president or a department, they are run by a body of officials drawn from both political parties and appointed in staggered terms over the course of more than one presidential administration; an example is the Federal Trade Commission.
3. Differences between independent agencies and independent regulatory commissions include the fact that agencies are headed by single administrators while commissions are governed by groups of commissioners; some agencies are government corporations with their own board of directors; commissions are more independent of presidential control; and legislation requires that the leadership appointments of some commissions consist of a mix of Republicans and Democrats.